Indianapolis Colts Have Big Plans For Donte Moncrief
Jan 4, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Donte Moncrief (10) catches a pass for a touchdown against Cincinnati Bengals strong safety George Iloka (43) during the third quarter in the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
The Indianapolis Colts have been busy this offseason, especially at the wide receiver position. Veteran receivers Hakeem Nicks and longtime star Reggie Wayne were allowed to walk in free agency. Superstar receiver Andre Johnson was signed along with Duron Carter out of the CFL and Vincent Brown came via free agency.
Then you have speedster T.Y. Hilton, coming off a 1,345-yard, seven touchdown season coming back. But look for more than just Johnson, Carter, and Hilton in the Colts passing game in 2015. That’s because the Colts still have big plans for 2014 3rd-round receiver Donte Moncrief for 2015.
After having a the slow start expected by a 3rd-round rookie receiver, Moncrief flashed in the second half of the season. In Week, 8, he had seven catches for 113 yards and a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Then in Week, 13, he struck again with four catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns against the Washington Redskins.
His speed and ability to make big plays caught head coach Chuck Pagano’s attention as he told NFL.com’s Marc Sessler, “This guy can make plays, he’s big, he’s fast, he can stretch the defense, all those types of things. It’s a learning process, and he’s going to be better in Year 2 than he was in Year 1. He’s got such a high ceiling and room for improvement. The sky’s the limit for him,”
That high ceiling comes from Moncrief being 6’2″, 220 pounds, running a 4.4 40, and having a 40-inch vertical leap.
It will be interesting to see if he can break out in 2015.